NET Rankings Fluctuate After a Wild Wednesday Night

Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini collapsed in a major way last night at Penn State. Leading 87-77 with just 2:30 to go, Illinois looked to put the finishing touches on a masterful performance by Terrance Shannon Jr. Instead, they lost in epic fashion, and saw their NET ranking tumble from 12 to 16.

Shannon Jr. has been unstoppable most of the season for the Illini. The senior transferred from Texas Tech after three seasons as a starter in 2022. This season, he’s averaging 22 points a night, and scored 35 Wednesday.

A furious rally led by transfer studs Nick Kern Jr. and Zach Hicks had the Nittany Lions within two with just 18 seconds to go. Illini forward Coleman Hawkins fouled Hicks on a three-point attempt 15 seconds after two misses at the line from Hawkins. Hicks drilled all three, and a last-ditch attempt from the Illini rimmed out at the buzzer, giving PSU the 90-89 win.

The Illini face a brutal stretch of three Quad 1 games to end their season. Coach Brad Underwood stacked Illinois with stud transfers this offseason. In fact, a transfer leads the Illini in scoring (Terrence Shannon Jr.), rebounds (Quincy Guerrier), and assists (Marcus Domask). Expect these three to be the driving force behind a potential late run in March for Illinois.